The following list attempts
to address the various means of booking which you
may encounter for local events. If you remain
unclear on any process after reading this information,
please do not hesitate to contact the Theatre Guide
for further information.

Please scroll down the
page, or click on the following links to jump to that
section.

BASS
(Best Available Seating Service) and Venue*Tix
are the two primary booking agencies for theatrical
and other entertainment events in South Australia.
They provide an advance ticket purchasing service,
meaning that you can only buy your tickets from them,
and not reserve seats ahead of paying for them.

Both have a number of outlets which you can visit
in person to purchase tickets and check out the flyers
and/or brochures on display which advertise what other
shows are around or coming soon.

If you ring the BASS 131 246 or Venue*Tix (08) 8232
1299 booking number, you will need a credit card.
Since both services provide for advance sales only,
you can only pre-book tickets without paying for them
if you are making a group book (but even in these
cases, full payment is required prior to the performance
date). Numbers required for a group booking vary,
depending on the show.

If you need to access the services of BASS or Venue*Tix
and you don't have a credit card, you can go in to
one of their branches
and pay for your tickets over the counter.

BASS & Venue*Tix also offer online ticketing services.
To visit their websites, along with those of other,
interstate ticketing agencies, please visit the links
section of the Theatre Guide.

It is
rare that an amateur theatre group or a semi-professional
theatre group have access to credit card facilities.
If bookings are done via a phone number (excluding
BASS and Venue*Tix), more times than not the service
allows you to book your tickets without paying for
them at the time. Tickets are held at the theatre
box office and you pay for and collect them when you
arrive for the performance. In these instances, you
are required to arrive at the theatre box office at
least 15 minutes before the commencement of the performance
to collect the tickets. If it happens to be a full
house that night, your tickets will be released for
general sale after this time.

Many
people don't book in advance because of the misconception
that they will need a credit card. Although this may
be the case in some instances, you'll usually find
that it isn't so. If a production is using both BASS/Venue*Tix
and a secondary phone number for bookings, you can
probably ring the secondary number to book without
paying over the phone.

If
you are unsure, ring the booking number and asked
if a credit card is needed.

Some
theatre companies who maintain their own web presence,
and most ticketing agencies have an on-line booking
service, allowing you to book via e-mail.

Again,
depending on whether or not the company has credit
card facilities, you may be able to book now and pay
at the box office when you arrive for the performance.
In these circumstances, which are particularly common
with community/amateur theatre companies, your tickets
will be reserved and held at the box office
for you. Alternatively, you may be asked to
send a cheque or money order through the post
to confirm the booking.

If
you want to book via e-mail, go to the relevant company's
or event website and see what they say. Usually,
it's spelt out pretty clearly what to do. If
they don't tell you the available payment methods,
assume that you can book now and pay when you arrive
for the performance. They'll soon contact you to give
you the relevant options if payment is needed prior
to the performance!

Keep
in mind also that group bookings usually do need to
be paid in advance rather than on the night of the
performance. If organising a group booking,
enquire with the company about group discounts which
are almost always available, and ask when the deadline
for payment is.

Sometimes
you just want more information but the only contact
listed is for bookings.

Fear
not! The people handling the bookings are usually
knowledgeable enough to answer your questions on the
show or company and they're more than happy to just
answer a few questions rather than taking a booking.

Unlike
sales people, booking officers aren't usually there
to try to convince you to buy the tickets - just to
take the bookings, so you won't be pressured into
buying. Ring the number or send your e-mail and you're
sure to get a welcoming response. If the person at
the other end can't answer your question(s) you'll
either be referred on to someone who can answer them,
or they'll find out and get back in touch with you.

The
other alternative is to e-mail the Webmaster of the
site, if one is listed. Since he/she is maintaining
the Website, he/she should also be able to answer
most of your queries.

Remember
- ultimately, companies want your business and patronage.
By being helpful this time, they may get a ticket
sale out of you next time!